Is The ASPCA’s Tear-Jerking Commercial Deceptive?

LOS ANGLES (CBS) — Is this what you call a cat fight? Or is it just a question of which animal rights agency is top dog? The Humane Society of California has filed a complaint against the ASPCA with the Attorney General.

They say the animal rights organization received $116-million in 2009, and only gave three-tenths of a percent to California. The group’s commercial (including an 800-number seeking donations would imply they are a national organization but they are based in New York City and only cater to New York animals in need, according to the Humane Society.)

SPCA’s are completely independent non-profits. So if a person living in Los Angeles, for example, is moved to make a donation (after seeing one of those tear-tugging commercials with Sarah McLachlan’s haunting “Angel” playing) you would potentially be giving money to needy animals in New York.

California’s State Humane Society wants to stop that practice calling the commercials misleading. They allege those commercials are unfair and deceptive and cause many people in the State of California to believe they have donated to local SPCA’s or Humane Societies.

The ASPCA believes the complaint is without merit. They issued a release in response. “The ASPCA is a national organization dedicated to helping animals wherever there is a need. Animal welfare supporters are happy that we aid local communities, offer field investigation and recovery services and provide critical life-saving programs all around the country.”

They also added, “In 2010, the ASPCA gave over 600 grants totaling nearly $7 million for animal welfare and anti-cruelty assistance in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the District of Columbia. In California, the ASPCA’s average grant total per year for the past four years will be nearly $1 million by the end of 2011. And, the organization has pledged $250,000 in grants in 2011 to animal shelters and rescue groups in the Los Angeles-area with funding aimed at saving the lives of animals in the Los Angeles community. If a shelter or community is in need of animal welfare resources, disaster relief or anti-cruelty assistance, we stand ready to provide rescue support or aid.”

ASPCA-LA is just as corrupt as the national organization. They share space with the LB shelter and cherry-pick only the most adoptable animals to bring over to “their side.” The others are all killed. Dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, bunnies. More animals are killed than are saved because they weren’t picked. Shame on Madeline Bernsteiin.

The SPCA-LA (not the ASPCA-LA) does pick dogs from Animal Care Services in Long Beach. And they do pick dogs that they think will be adoptable. The SPCA-LA does not put a time limit on how long the animals stay until they are adopted. The facts of pet overpopulation are unfortunate because there is only so much room to house the animals and only so much budget to go around. By giving money to the ASPCA it diverts the funds from helping the animals locally.

But if you want to blame someone for dog overpopulation and euthanasia – don’t blame SPCA-LA or Animal Care Services – blame the people who don’t spay or neuter their animals and have “accidents” or who illegally breed and sell dogs for money (without a license).

but shouldn’t the SPCA and Animal Control be pushing for mandatory spay/neuter? With such high euthanasia rates they should be all over implementing mandatory. I don’t see it…
Everybody is pointing the finger at someone else. Doesn’t do the trick. Mandatory spay/neuter will.

Long Beach already has a mandatory spay neuter law. Age 4 months – unless you are a legal breeder and get a license. Also State law says that all animals leaving the shelter have to be spayed or neutered upon leaving. SPCA-LA has opened an affordable spay/neuter clinic in Los Angeles. Just FYI.

where is the adjunct suit against the Humane Society of the Unites States? i see ‘humane society” on the sign in this video. They are just as egregious and culpable and run NO shelters.
Give locally.. not to scam organizations .
wwwhumanewatch.org for the real story

You will NOT get the real story at humanewatch.org. Humanewatch is run by the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF). CCF is an industry lobbying group funded by big tobacco and food manufactures. It’s purpose is to fight laws designed to protect consumers and animals. Regardless of how you feel about HSUS or ASPCA, humanewatch is NOT an organization you want to support or recommend.

Ad hominem attacks against CCF do not negate the truthful information they provide about HSUS and other Animal Scam groups.
GO CCF! Thank goodness we finally have a group to refute the nonsense spouted by HSUS and other wealthy animal supremicist groups.

HSUS is an anti-industry lobbying group funded by well meaning animal lovers who respond to its deceptive TV ads and misleading mailings. A charity’s tax-exempt purpose isn’t to make laws for their political opponents to “fight.” If you fact-check HSUS’s phony claims and analyze the creatrive accounting on its IRS 990s’s, it is clear that HSUS does very little charitable work. A few of its “controlled affiliates” like the Fund for Animals provide some direct care (and aggressively fundraise for it) but it’s a separate organization. Donations to HSUS are mainly spent on lobbbying, litigation, in-house fundraising, outside fundraising companies, PR and marketing, and harassing their critics (CCF is just one of many.)

Another HSUS critic, The No-Kill Advocacy Center is an organization animal lovers will want to support and recommend. Read Nathan Winograd’s “Betrayal and Deceit at the Humane Society of the United States” for the real story from the real leader of the animal protection movement.

I think that this case should be thrown out of court. If people wanted to donate to their local shelters they could just go to the shelter or mail them a check. If people assumed that the money was going to their local shelter that is their own fault not the fault of the commercial. There is not place on that ad that states the money will be going to your local shelter.

As I said above eif people want to donate in their area, go to a local shelter, go to pet co adoptions, petsmart and any other stores in their area that may have pet adoptions.

CCF is an organization who lobbies against humane treatment laws of farm animals, global warming initiatives, Food sanitation laws and inspections of abbatoirs, and restaurants, anti pollution regulations, and support the repeal of laws to regulate the puppy mill industry. They are a front for gross polluters, large agribusinesses, food factories, and the restaurant industry. Their goal is to deregulate these areas of the economy, and repeal the health and safety statutes that protect the general public, in order to increase the profits of their corporate sponsors while decreasing their culpability and liability. They engage in deceptive advertising, whille pursuing a right wing agenda that serves only to enrich the coffers of their sponsors, while perpetuating the abuse of animals and putting the health of the American people at risk.

Just another example of why “animal rights” groups are among the most corrupt organizations in the world. These self-serving, anti-human, facists need to be exposed for who they are. They exploit your natural empathy for poor, defenseless animals to extract money from your wallet and then spend none of it to actually help those animals. It is shameful.

Glad to see that the CCF response centeris on the job. Thanks representatives “Toni” and “Time4Dogs” for speaking out for the real victims: corporations, restaurants, labs, and mills. Very clever of the CCF astro-turfing(look it up) team to pretend to be real commentators.

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I’ll just bet someone or ones are getting so fat from donations that the stupid American Public gives not knowing they are being duped ! St. Jude’s Hospital could really use that money ! People will give to Animals more than sick or starving children !

I, personally have reported on a few occasions about animal cruelty and as of now have had no response, to any of the charges although I still revive donation)) request. All morning we have tried to reach someone concerning these animals, and have been connected to the water dept. the sewer dept.with no luck reaching the ASPCA, no phone number no address. As of today we have close to ten dogs, that people have thrown away. This absolutely makes me disgusted. For such a large organizations and no way to contact you , maybe the news on televisions can get a response

If you want to be sure of your local shelter getting your donation, give directly to them. Don’t give to these big, national organizations or you won’t know what they do with your money. At least locally you can donate money, time, blankets, food, whatever they need. I’m tempted to start crocheting/knitting small blankets to donate to mine since we can’t afford monetary donations. But I do have an abundance of yarn and time.

YEAH! “In California, the ASPCA’s average grant total per year for the past four years will be nearly $1 million by the end of 2011. And, the organization has pledged $250,000 in grants in 2011 to animal shelters and rescue groups in the Los Angeles-area with funding aimed at saving the lives of animals in the Los Angeles community; WHICH MEANS THE ASPCA MADE OFF WITH $750,000 FOR SIMPLY PUSHING PAPERS!~ SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE AKC DOING EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO FURTHER UNJUST ENRICHMENT VIA POSTING CONFIDENTIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS; AND THEN SECRETLY REGISTERING UNSIGNED LITTER APPLICATIONS, THAT ARE MAIL IN; RATHER THAN PROPERLY USING SAME VERIFICATION PROCESS VIA AKC’S ONLINE REGISTRATION VERIFICATION EMAIL SYSTEM! AKC’S NONE PROFIT, MY ASS! WITH $60M IN PROFITS EVERY YEAR; AND SPRUNG STEALING OVER $1M AS NON-PROFIT RACKETEER!